Walk of life: Chapter 1
by Meekychunky
Summary: What would happen if Squall ended up with a lazy and self indulgent teenager? A little slapdash right now but I hope you like it please R+R


Author's note~ This is a sort of play-around story, I wondered what could be done if Squall had a cunning little brat for a child, everybody in that game is so nice... except for Seifer obviously... oh just given myself an idea, tell me if you like this chapter and I'll see how it develops between now and the next chapter, may be a while coming, I have another story to finish first. 

Zell swang back in his chair on the porch of the Leonhart home. He was watching, the children of the house intently, although they were both teenagers now, not children. He had always considered them as the family he never had, it wasn't that he didn't want kids, it was just he had never found the right person to have them with. But this place was his home as much as anywhere, his Mum needed him these days, sooner or later he would have to face up to the fact that she wasn't going to be around forever. But not today, and this family would be there for him when it happened, his mother dieing might even bring Selphie back from Trabia. Squall came through the door and grinned at him, it was an easy smile, one that had taken years to finally see, but even to Zell those years had worth the fight to break down the mans walls, he had no idea how it must make Rinoa feel to see him smile. He lent on the railing that surrounded the porch and reguarded his children. 

'Those kids handle those blades like they've been playing with them for years.' The two children on the lawn were playing with practice swords, Squall glanced around at his friend as he spoke. 

'I suspect they have to be honest, to them finding my gunblade was like having christmas come early... no matter how many times I hid it.' Blue eyes sparkled in amusement and he swept a hand back through his dark hair. Zell looked at the pair with a wry smile and shook his head. 

'Now you say it, I don't doubt it.' Squall took the seat next to him and they watched the pair in silence. 'Are you going to send Sif to garden as well?' He asked and Squall frowned at him. 

'You haven't heard? She doesn't want to go, I don't get it.' Zell raised his eyebrows. 

'Well you know, different strokes for different folks.' He sent his eyes across to Squall's wayward daughter. 'You do surprise me though, she has better battle instincts than Brand does. He's good but she's better... besides she's the most fatalistic of the pair. That trait served you well as a SeeD.' He heard Squall sigh in amusement. 

'Rinoa tells me it's my fault for the way she is. Like I could control what personality traits she picked up from me. She's a good kid, but to be honest I think she picked up a healthy dose of wanderlust from her grandfather, she misses him a lot since he died. Since then her stubborness has increased because Rinoa is so protective of her and won't actually let her go anywhere.' Squall shook his head. 

'Well come on, he's only been dead a month and she's always been difficult, and as for Rinoa, you are kind of a celebrity... still.' He said mockingly, it had been Rinoa and Squall who had gained the most publicity after the time compression, the others were glad of it and tried to fade into the background even more. 'Your kids are wanted by association, the products of the greatest love story of all time.' Zell said ironically. 

'I do wish you'd stop saying that. After ninteen years it's beginning to grate.' Squall clenched his teeth. 

'I didn't write the article, or take the fuzzy picture of the two of you kissing.' He laughed at the look on Squall's face, it still got to him after all these years. 

'Give it up, it wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now.' He looked across at his kids with a tightness to his jaw. 'I think we gave them the wrong names you know.' Zell looked amused, Brand had been named by Ifrit after a firebrand, he was sedate and mild mannered to a fault. Sif's full name was Pacifica, Rinoa had named her that because it meant peace, but from the day she was born Sif had been anything but peaceful. 

'It's possible you know. You figure out why Sif doesn't want to go?' Squall shook his head. 

'I think it's actually the fact she wants to travel kicking in, I think Balamb is a bit to staid for her. She knows this place.' 

'Well there's a simple answer to that isn't there...' Squall looked at his friend interestedly. 

* 

'Come on Sif, I touched you... stay down... you're dead.' Brand snapped as his sister forced him backed with the ferocity of her onslaught. 'Don't you ever play by the rules?' He said with a frown. 

'This is real life, what rules are there that aren't made to be broken?' She asked and wiped sweat out of her eyes. Brand yelped as he was forced backwards into the flowerbed. 'Yield?' She asked him. 

'Dammit, yes... let me up you witch.' She gave a sharp thwack to her brother's leg. 

'Sif, play fair.' She heard her father's voice call out, she turned around and waved to him, unrepentant. The quick young sixteen year old held a hand out to Brand and lifted him out of the flower bed. He looked at him jeans and began to rub off the worst of the dirt. 

'Mum's gonna go spare.' He said with a frown. 

'Oh please... no she won't golden boy.' They had always argued who was the most favoured child in their house. It wasn't serious but it was something to do when they were bored. Those times had lessened now that Brand was studying up at Garden, Sif found that she missed him. He rolled his eyes at her. 

'Come on witch, it's time to pack up for the day, and you need a shower... you stink.' She smiled, he had called her witch ever since she was a toddler. She strode ahead of him and up onto the porch, she hopped up and sat on the railing facing Zell and her father. 

'So what brings you down from garden?' She asked Zell who winked at her. 

'Just giving some advice to Squall thassall. And I couldn't miss that display you two were putting on... you are evil... you do know that don't you?' He asked her and she threw her head back into a laugh. 

'Whatever.' She said flippantly, Zell had never figured out if she had gotten that from Squall or picked it up for herself. 'You staying for dinner? Irvine's coming over.' Zell shrugged and nodded. 

'Sure why not, haven't seen him in... oh about five hours... I ate lunch with him.' 

'Hotdogs?' Squall asked him wryly. 

'Hey... I was into them when I was a kid okay, credit me with a bit more maturity these days, I eat a varied diet.' Squall looked at Brand and Sif and winked. 

'Yeah he sometimes eats onion rings as well.' Zell kicked him and Squall winced. 'I didn't deserve that.' he exclaimed. 

'You know, I think those two are worse than us.' Brand observed to Sif who burst into laughter. 

* 

Squall reguarded Sif quietly as she lay on the living room floor finishing her homework, it was the last year of school for her and she still hadn't decided what she wanted to be doing with her life. That was the only reason why he was concerned that she wasn't going to garden, the fact that she was happy to let her life go in a downward spiral doing nothing. She swang her legs absently and slammed the book shut. 'That'll do.' She said with a smile, she glanced at him, they both knew she had never tried her best at anything, she was always content with being okay, or good enough... that worried him too. He glanced up as Rinoa walked into the room with a frown. 

'What's the matter?' He asked her, she shook her head. 

'Nothing, just the SeeD ball is coming around again.' Squall groaned. 'Are we going again this year?' She asked him. 

'No. Not after last years fiasco.' He said. 'Besides the family is still in mourning because of...' He looked at Sif, her face wore an unreadable mask. 

'I think grandad would of wanted us to go out and have a good time.' She said. 'Besides you said that you'd take me with you this year.' Squall's eyes narrowed at her. 

'And just how would that look to everyone?' He asked her. 'It's only been a month, we aren't going.' 

'But you promised.' Sif said shrilly and rose to her knees, her blue eyes glittered in affront. 'You swore.' It was at that point he remembered the temper tantrums she had, had as a child, she had often gotten herself into such a state that she was no longer able to get herself out of the sobs and wails that racked her body. He remembered when he sat cross legged next to her for a full hour just stroking her back as she tried to bring herself out of the tantrum she'd brought on. Over the years she had become more cunning, never with him, but Rinoa had always been more affected by her wiles than he had. He knew the girl too well, she was sweetness and light while she was happy and getting her own way. She could wind Irvine and Rinoa around her little finger, but Zell always saw through her, he was very astute like that so he was the one she respected out of all his friends. When she was around, Selphie had always been her first point of call, because even when she was an infant, she had spoken to Sif as an adult. He shook his head and seriously began to consider Zell's idea that he send her away to another garden, but she would miss her family too much, it was too much like a punishment. 

'No I didn't I said we'll see. That isn't anything like a promise.' He said and he nearly sighed at the hurt look on her face. 

'Yes you did, you just can't remember because the GF's are always in your head.' She snapped back in anger. Squall nearly betrayed the shock he felt, okay that was a new one. 

'Don't be so silly. You aren't going and that's final.' She heard the finality to his voice, so she switched to a different tack and busrt into tears, turned on her heal and ran up the stairs. He caught Rinoa's arm as she went to follow her. 

* 

Sif sprinted into her room and dived onto the bed, choking sobs racking her body. She considered the options open to her and quickly dismissed begging. 'What's the matter now?' Brand asked her with a frown. He watched sparkling tears slide artlessly down her cheeks. 

'Nothing, just leave me alone.' She sobbed into her pillow. He was torn about whether to leave or not, recently a lot of her tears had been due to their grandfather's death. He sat down next to her and began to stroke her hair. 

'It's okay, you can tell me.' She turned to look at him and shook her head. 

'You wouldn't understand.' She said Brand took her hand. 'They won't let me go to the SeeD ball, even though he promised me I could.' Brand closed his eyes breifly and let out an exasperated sigh. 'I knew you wouldn't get it, I'm misunderstood by all of you.' 

'Yeah like Dad misunderstood Ultimecia.' Sif stared at him in outrage. She swallowed. 

'Get out, if you aren't even going to begin to try and get it, you can just get out.' Without looking back at her he stalked from the room, wiping away the tears she stood and went to her closet. _Cinderella, you shall go to the ball. _ She told herself. 

Author's note~ Okay it's a bit slap dash right now and the characters need developing but what do you think? Is it worth continuing or should I just pack it up and not bother?   
__   
__


End file.
